Construction work on entrance to new station gets under way

Construction on the new entrance of Bristol’s newest railway station is set to get under way this week.

The work will be the second new station to be built in Bristol in as many years, after Portway Park & Ride became the first new railway station to open in the city in almost 100 years.

Building work is continuing on Ashley Down station, which will improve connectivity in the area, giving local people more travel choices as well as helping de-carbonise the city’s transport network.

Bristol City Council is preparing for construction work to start on the gateway to the station as well as a section of Concorde Way that runs alongside one of the platforms.

Don Alexander, Bristol Council’s cabinet member for transport, said: “Ashley Down station has been years in the planning, so it is wonderful that it’s taking shape and will soon offer another convenient, safe and eco-friendly way to connect local residents to the rest of the city and beyond.

“It is another milestone in our work diversifying transport for Bristolians, creating resilient and reliable alternatives to driving. This includes our work to improve public transport as we work towards our ambition for a mass transit system that goes above and below ground, which is our only realistic option for a transport system that will meet the needs of our growing city. Increasing the number of people who travel by train will further bring down air pollution across the city, with nitrogen dioxide down ten percent across Bristol a year after the start of the Clean Air Zone.

The work will involve connecting Station Road up to the new station entrance, making sure it offers Equality Act compliant access. It will include:

• an accessible route to the station entrance and a resting bench
• two disabled parking bays and a loading bay
• improvement to the levels of Concorde Way
• new steps from Station Road to the subway
• new measures to reduce conflict between cyclists and pedestrians, including painting ‘SLOW’ markings and improving visibility along Concorde Way near the subway
• a crossing point to the station entrance
• landscaping works, including flowering hedges, meadow grassland, spring flowering bulbs, planting trees and shrubs, and installing bird and bat boxes
• lighting leading up to the station entrance

The new entrance to the station will be on Concorde Way where the path meets Station Road. The route to the station, from Muller Road and Station Lane, will be through the existing subway.

The council’s contractor, ETM, will work alongside Network Rail’s contractor, BAM, who are continuing work to build the new railway station.

ETM will set up their site compound at the bottom of the cul-de-sac on Station Road from Monday 22 January. They need to set this up on the road, which will mean around 10 to 12 car parking spaces will be needed to make way for this. Access to pavements and properties will be maintained at all times.

It was hoped that work on the gateway to the station would start before Christmas, but negotiations and legal agreements have taken longer than anticipated, which means the closure of the section of Concorde Way next to the station may need to be extended. To complete the works safely as planned, an extra section of Concorde Way, from Station Road to Muller Road, will need to be closed towards the end of the gateway works with a diversion via Ralph Road put in place.

Councillor Alexander continued: “A new station needs an entry way that is accessible to all. We will do everything we can to complete the works as soon as possible and would like to thank everyone for their patience throughout. It will be worth it when we join our partner organisations in cutting the ribbon on another new railway station that serves communities in Bristol.”

When complete, Ashley Down station will initially be served by hourly trains operating in both directions between Bristol Temple Meads and Filton Abbey Wood, with the ambition to extend to Henbury and beyond in the future.

The Ashley Down station project partnership sees Bristol City Council working with the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, Network Rail, and Great Western Railway.

The station is part of the MetroWest programme which aims to unlock opportunities for both business and leisure for residents between Ashley Down and Temple Meads, Filton and Henbury.